Pre-Course Meeting: Moving Beyond Logistics

The pre-course team meeting is a usually dedicated to agendas, set up, hands-on activities and testing. This is an opportunity to go beyond logistics. This list is a guide to encourage discussion about a number of course-related topics.

 How can we improve ourselves as instructors?

o What are our strengths/weaknesses as a team?

o How can we help each other be stronger?

o What are your strengths/weaknesses as an instructor? i.e. I relate well with fire fighters; I would rather do hands-on exercises than teach in a classroom

o How will we solicit and process ideas and suggestions for improvement?

. Consider having members of the teaching team select a chapter or two where they are reviewed by a colleague using the IC evaluation as a way to organize and encourage feedback.

 Classroom Management and Agenda

o What are the needs of the instructors? For example, does anyone need a certain number of hours in order to recertify.

o How can certain chapters challenge us to engage the students/adult learner?

o Find opportunities in each chapter to put CRs in the hands of the students and teach in the cars as much as possible

o Self-select individual goals and set team goals

. i.e. Individual goal: I want to do a different chapter than I usually do, I want to project my voice better;

. i.e. Team goal: Let’s work the checklist in to each days chapters so by the time we do the seat check we will reduce mistakes of filling the forms out and techs will understand the importance to continue using them once they are certified.

 How will we deal with distracted students? (such as the perpetually late student, the talker, the expert, the student who wants to be on cell phone/laptop)

 Instructor Expectations

o What does the Lead Instructor expect from the instructor team in terms of attention (texting, using a computer, etc.), where they sit, involvement in hands-on activities, clean up, etc.

This checklist should be modified to suit your needs. You can discuss instructor improvement ideas, classroom management, dealing with difficult students, instructor expectations, student mentoring, failing students, course improvement, and evaluation. 10/2013  How will students who are failing be mentored?

o Examples

. Offer study sessions before and after class.

. Pair weaker students with stronger students or Tech Assistant.

. Encourage weaker students to take CRs home with them for additional practice time in a reduced stress environment.

 What happens if someone does not pass the course?

o Examples

. Confidentially discuss with the individual the issues that could have improved their chances of success

. Lead instructor will discuss options of taking another class and encourage individual to stay in class and assist the checkup event

. Encourage them to attend future checkup events to increase exposure

o Reminder: If they decide to stay in the course, everyone on the team should make an effort to keep them included. No one but the teaching team should know they will not be CPS-certified at the end.

 Being different: What small steps will we do to make this course even better than before?

o How do we help prepare students to do well during the class (tests and hands-on)?

o How can we better encourage students to ask questions and actively engage in the coursework?

o How can we, as instructors, be more accessible and approachable?

 Evaluation

o How will we use the course evaluations to improve the next course?

This checklist should be modified to suit your needs. You can discuss instructor improvement ideas, classroom management, dealing with difficult students, instructor expectations, student mentoring, failing students, course improvement, and evaluation. 10/2013